I'm still trying to figure out how we didn't end up with Beasley with the Bosh S&T...

Colangelo didn't want him.

I would go for CLee for sure, Mayo* possibly, and Jason Thompson as a backup C (if we don't keep Gray). Speights, Arthur and Lopez will all be back with their respective teams I would bet.
*If Memphis trades RGay I wonder if they try to hang onto Mayo even though they have had rough patches with him.

Well he's playing behind Kevin Martin in Houston now and Houston for sometime has been like a better version of what we've been having to put up with in Toronto, that being a lot of average players(depth) but not much star power. They spread the PT out so much there that it's hard to get major bench minutes. Thankfully Toronto is moving away from the focus spreading the wealth out over 90% of the roster.

I'm glad he's not here. Talent doesn't mean a thing if you don't have the professionalism, maturity or character.

I'm still trying to figure out how we didn't end up with Beasley with the Bosh S&T...

I don't believe Bryan was a fan of Beasley's, and I don't blame him (remember the off season before, Beasley had checked into rehab, and that is probably not something Bryan wanted to deal with on an ongoing basis).

However on top of that, we had Turk still on the roster at that time. I'm not sure if Bryan had any trade partners for Turk when the Bosh/Miami trade was happening. If we had Turk for another year, that would have created quite a log jam at the SF spot.

I think the TPE gave Bryan more flexibility at the time. In hindsight was it a bad move? Well it's questionable. We got David Anderson for some of that TPE which we used in a trade to land Bayless and Peja (who was a big heaping pile of waste). I guess we basically ended up with cap space which got us below the tax level.

I don't think Bryan is fond of head cases. This is probably why we'll never see a guy like Cousins, Blatche or Arenas on our team.

Small Forward

I think I've made my thoughts on JJ pretty clear as the starting forward for Toronto moving forward - I don't like it. I see him being an energy player off the bench. It is the same role I've always felt was best suited for Amir as well. That is not an insult to either player, or at least it is not intended. You need guys who can change the flow of the game off the bench, who do the dirty work, and who fans appreciate. I am a fan and there is no doubt I appreciate JJ and Amir when they are playing with heart and hustle within their abilities.

So with that said, the starting forward moving forward should come via draft, trade, or free agency. In the draft I am all for Miller, MKG, or Barnes - in that order. Via a trade, I am all for Rudy Gay. But lets assume free agency is the only option - and it most likely will be.

So, for anyone out there hoping to land Nic Batum, I think $9M is the minimum per season average. More likely you are looking at around the same money Gallinari just signed for $10.5M per season (i.e. Bargnani money).

The other option, and one that could come before July 2012, is Wilson Chandler.

I think his market price would be around that of Thad Young ($8.5M per season). Denver has the right to match all offers and it is hard to see them matching such an offer given the contracts given to Afflalo, Gallinari, and reportedly Koufos. Adding Galinari and Koufos takes the Nuggets to $55M on the payroll for next year with Ty Lawson due an extension in 2013.

The Raptors currently have just under $52M on the books. That means they can offer a starting salary of just over $6M per season when he is finished in China (you need to have the cap space to offer a free agent a contract). If the Raptors make a trade with less money coming back (or none at all) they could offer more.

So adding to the idea of Batum above, what do you think they should do?

No to Batum and $10+. I don't think anyone will give him that right now whether he is worth it or not. Gali has shown he can do it consistently, Batum has shown flashes. Don't get me wrong I like Batum, but I would be wary of that kind of outlay for him right now.

The Portland Trail Blazers fail to reach an agreement on a contract extension with forward Nicolas Batum and he'll become a restricted free agent this summer according to Batum's agent Bouna Ndiaye.

We're still not talking and we're not willing to accept the offer the Blazers have proposed, Ndiaye told CSNNW.com. The game is about to start and we haven't heard anything. We will not accept the offer that is out there.

CSNNW.com first reported that sides were very far apart and that the Blazers initial proposal was viewed by Ndiaye, as a low-ball offer according to one source.

Apparently, there was too much ground to make up to get a deal done.

The Blazers had up until 9 p.m. tonight to reach an an agreement with their coveted forward, now Batum will become a restricted free-agent on July 1.

Update: Batum's agent also had this to say.

"When Batum becomes a restricted free agent, we'll look at the other 29 teams before we talk to the Blazers," Batum's agent Bouna Ndiaye told CSNNW.com. "The Blazers had their chance."

Blazers president Larry Miller:

"Batum's agent has a right to test the market. We've let him know how much we value Batum as a player and a person and we still want him to be part of our organization going forward."

i want chandler on the team. even if you had to amnesty kleiza. chandler would be a great pickup for our team. might be able to jettison some players for garbage to make room.

i think we could even release butler and pay him over 2 years to free up some money and not waste the amnesty. do the same thing with magloire or forbes.

also just thought that if he comes back after we have traded leandro away from picks if possible we could have some extra cash

I am all for Chandler. He is just 24 (25 in May). He can guard 2-3-4. He can play either wing position on O.

Trading Barbosa with less money coming back would be a great way to ensure the Raps can offer a contract the Nuggets won't match - and maybe get an asset in the process, like a draft pick. Where Barbosa is an UFA in July, I'd be looking to re-sign him at that point.

You're entitled to your own opinion as do everyone in this forum. I have watched a few times over the past two years and I think that he is a good player. Like 8 to 9 mil per year good. Of course, my man-crush on Batum cannot be more obvious. The intangibles for me at the 3 position is the ability to defend and shoot the three rock. Chandler can shoot but his defense is not as good as Batum's IMO.

The saving of our world from pending doom will come, not through the complacent adjustment of the conforming majority, but through the creative maladjustment of a nonconforming minority. - Martin Luther King

i want chandler on the team. even if you had to amnesty kleiza. chandler would be a great pickup for our team. might be able to jettison some players for garbage to make room.

i think we could even release butler and pay him over 2 years to free up some money and not waste the amnesty. do the same thing with magloire or forbes.

also just thought that if he comes back after we have traded leandro away from picks if possible we could have some extra cash

Considering JVs arrival in 2012, it would be a stretch to amnesty Kleiza. His contract is not exorbitant and his knee is getting better. A fellow Lithuanian that knows the North American culture will prove to be valuable to JVs growth if Kleiza can provide it. I don't understand this need to amnesty a perfectly good, serviceable player.

The saving of our world from pending doom will come, not through the complacent adjustment of the conforming majority, but through the creative maladjustment of a nonconforming minority. - Martin Luther King

The saving of our world from pending doom will come, not through the complacent adjustment of the conforming majority, but through the creative maladjustment of a nonconforming minority. - Martin Luther King

again, i am all about wilson chandler for sf and i do not want batum on the team. but if he were signed (he is restricted so you are over paying or it is getting matched) it should be somewhere between 6-8 a year. i just looked and he is getting 24 minutes a game with a much more talented team so i would be surprised if anything other than his scoring went up on our team. it is hard to say with portland because they are a deep team though.

Considering JVs arrival in 2012, it would be a stretch to amnesty Kleiza. His contract is not exorbitant and his knee is getting better. A fellow Lithuanian that knows the North American culture will prove to be valuable to JVs growth if Kleiza can provide it. I don't understand this need to amnesty a perfectly good, serviceable player.

just throwing out a scenario on how to get my man. watching him smash the cba players gave me a woody for him. i also don't think they will let klieza go when he will help bigvs transition over the pond. purely hypotheticals

anyone else see a restricted free agent pattern happening. it seems like the teams are not extending and using some of their own leverage right now. some players, like love, etc really need to be kept happy and paid but the fringe players are all going to have to find someone to overpay them or take the rookie scale pay increase. i think its a great way to try to keep salaries down. as long as the teams stick to their guns.

and on a side note i would love to see a team like los angeles get howard sign him to an extension and then trade him right away for an entire team. that would put the players back in their places.

anyone else see a restricted free agent pattern happening. it seems like the teams are not extending and using some of their own leverage right now. some players, like love, etc really need to be kept happy and paid but the fringe players are all going to have to find someone to overpay them or take the rookie scale pay increase. i think its a great way to try to keep salaries down. as long as the teams stick to their guns.

and on a side note i would love to see a team like los angeles get howard sign him to an extension and then trade him right away for an entire team. that would put the players back in their places.

The new CBA has significantly increased the qualifying offer for restricted free agents. Also, once they play out the qualifying year they become unrestricted free agents. If a team truly wants a player as part of the future, they will find a deal.

David Lee is a good example of a player who got showed no love when it came to contract talks, played out the qualifying offer and became unrestricted signing a huge deal with GSW. Ray Felton did the same in Charlotte.